Last Day's Destiny
by harmonyarmenia
Summary: Piper died at the end of season three. Leo has clipped his wings. Prue wants to give up her powers and there is no Paige. What's next for the Power of Two
1. Chapter 1

**CHARMED**

**(START BEGINNING SEASON FOUR)**

**Last Day's Destiny**

TITLE:LAST DAY'S DESTINY

AUTHOR:M.C.SHERIDAN

BRIEFING:STARTING AT THE BEGINNING OF SEASON FOUR. WHEN SHAX INJURED PRUE AND PIPER, LEO ARRIVED TO SAVE PIPER, BUT THE ELDERS INTERVENED AND STOPPED HIM. INSTEAD, THEY SENT A WHITELIGHTER TO SAVE PRUE. THIS IS WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED HAD PIPER DIED INSTEAD OF PRUE. **CONTAINS BAD LANGUAGE!!!**

COMMENTS:I'M ALWAYS DELIGHTED TO HEAR WHAT YOU THINK, SO IF YOU HAVE ANY REQUESTS, QUESTIONS OR EVEN COMMENTS - TELL ME!

_"Leo!" _The voice startled him, shouting in his ear, almost deafening him. "Leo, you son of a bitch, wake up; or can't you even do that now?!"

"Piper?" He woke and sat upright to see an image of Piper floating next to his bed, staring at him vengefully. "Piper ... "

_"What? You're sorry? Are you sorry, Leo? Well, you should be! You left me. You stood there and let me die. It's all your fault, Leo. It's your fault. You killed me; you're own wife. You were supposed to love me and you killed me. It'll always be your fault!"_

"It'll always be my fault!" Leo woke suddenly, his whole body covered in sweat, his heart beating far too fast and tears filling his eyes. He had only been dreaming ... but that didn't make it any less true. "It'll always be my fault." He said again, more calm this time, as though to assure himself.

Maybe it hadn't really even been a dream, maybe it was Piper yelling at him, scolding him for not saving her. He should've tried harder, he knew he should've; but how could he? He had tried with all the strength in his heart to save her, but the Elders ...

_"Stop blaming other people. It was all you." _The voice in his head uttered again - Piper's voice.

He tried to swallow the lump in his throat and stop himself from crying again, but he couldn't. He lay back down onto the dirty pillow that lined the bed in the greasy motel he had been hiding out in. He put his hand under the pillow to retrieve a photograph of his wife and held it close to his chest as his body shook with sobs. "Piper!" He cried loudly, no longer trying to fight it. "Piper."

"Leo!" Phoebe shouted as she dodged the incoming fireball aimed at her. "Cole!" She shouted again, trying to alert anyone who might possibly help her. "Oh crap." She used her powers to levitate above an energy ball, but fell to the ground by the feeling of a sharp pain in her back. She cried out in pain and fell on top of the old couch they kept in the attic for soft landings, but it didn't do her any good when she realised that there was an atheme stuck in her back. With the feeling of all energy being sucked out of her, she drifted out of consciousness.

"You bastards!" Prue crawled her way into the attic on all fours, trying to ignore the wounds in her leg, arm and stomach; but one look at her sister lying at the other side of the room gave her a new surge of power. "No!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "You can go back to The Source and tell him that I won't lose Phoebe as well!" Combining all her stength and power, she used her powers to throw a collection of vanquishing potions to each and every one of the six demons in the room. "BAD OF HEART AND TWO OF FACE, I VANQUISH YOU THROUGH TIME AN D SPACE, TAKE THESE DEMONS FROM MY SIGHT AND SEND THEM INTO THE ENDLESS NIGHT." Almost in unity, the demons burst into flames and disappeared. "I swear to God I will kill every last one of you." Gripping onto the sideboard, she managed to pull herself along to where Phoebe was lying, her life slipping away from her. "Leo!" Prue yelled, crawling over to her sister and taking her in her arms. "Dammit, Leo, we need you! Please! Please ... " Just as the tears where streaming down her face, a mass of magical white orbs appeared and a stranger stood before them. Prue ignored the fact that she had never seen the man before, but beckoned him to heal her sister.

"Prue." A few seconds later, Phoebe's raspy voice came back and she sat up, helped by the mysterious man who had just saved her life. "I thought they had killed you downstairs."

"No. But they nearly killed you. This is getting ridiculous, Phoebe. Thank you." Prue said, just remembering the man who was there.

"You again. Are you here to leave one of us to die now?! Who are you anyway?" Phoebe asked, eyeing him with suspicion.

"I'm Max. I'm a friend of Leo's. I'll be your Whitelighter from now on. Leo has temporarily clipped his wings and asked me to watch over you. That's why he hasn't responded to your calls. I'm sorry about the thing with Piper..."

"Well, we couldv'e done with your help before we were nearly killed." Phoebe snarled at him.

"Phoebe, we have to talk about these incesant demonic attacks." Prue told her, lying still whilst Max healed her injuries, too. "Thanks. Phoebe, it's getting ridiculous."

"This is who we are, Prue. I told you already, I won't be giving up my powers."

"Well tough, Phoebe. With Piper gone and me giving up my powers, it's basically a majority vote. I'll give it until after Piper's funeral tomorrow and if you haven't found someway to stop all this, then I'll be giving it up."

"Giving up on the Charmed Ones?" Max asked, helping Prue up. His dark brown eyes sparkled in the sunlight and a look of worry crossed his forehead. "You can't do that, Prue. You still have a destiny. I was sent to save you for a reason. You and Phoebe still have a reason to continue being witches. You can't just give up."  
"Really?" She asked, pulling her arm free from his grip, then turning towards Phoebe said, "Just watch me."

So, what did you think? I'm open to suggestions as this is my first Charmed piece. Have lots of ideas, twists and turns but want your views too!


	2. Chapter 2

TITLE:LAST DAY'S DESTINY

CHAPTER 2:The Ring of Garaath

AUTHOR:M.C.SHERIDAN

BRIEFING:COLE FEARS HE IS LOSING PHOEBE. MAX CASTS A SPELL ON PRUE TO PERSUADE HER TO KEEP HER POWERS, AT A TRAGIC EXPENSE.

COMMENTS:KEEP COMMENTING AND GIVING ME SUGGESTIONS - ALL WELCOME!

''And you promise this will do the trick?'' Max asked the cloaked woman, eyeing a vial with red liquid and putting it into his pocket.

''I gave you what you asked for. Now, I want what you promised me.'' She held her hand out, which was complete with eight inch red talons.

Slowly, Max turned around, checking no one was hiding in the shadows, spying on his betrayal.

''The Elders better not find out i gave you this.'' He warned her, handing her a small gold ring.

''The Ring of Garaath.'' She smiled, bearing green rotted teeth and accepted it.

''You promise you'll only use it to find your brother?''

''Brothers. There are three of them. My family.'' She sighed, a solemn note tinged between her words. ''Yes. then you can have it back and The Elders will know nothing.''

Max nodded, turned his back on her and orbed out of the dark cave deep within the Underworld.

''I hope that's all she does with it.''

''Phoebe, come here a minute.'' Cole gestured to her to come sit with him on the bed.

''No. I ... I have to go see Prue. I have to check she's okay.''

''Phoebe,'' he started as he pulled himself up from the bed and headed over to the dresser where she was standing. ''I'm sure she'll be fine since the last ten minutes. She knows where you are if she needs you. Just relax for a minute. Please.'' He placed a tender hand on her face and grasped her waist with his arm.

''I'm worried about her, Cole. She isn't coping. It's been three months and she still isn't coping.'' She pulled away from him and turned her back. ''I'm allowed to be worried about her without you crowding me all the time, alright?!''

''Well, do you know what, Phoebe? I'm worried about you, too! You haven't even cried since Piper. She's your sister - ''

''I'm not allowed to fall apart while Prue's like this. I can't. If she can't be the strong one, then it'll have to be me.''

''It doesn't have to be; that's why I'm here. I'm here for you, Phoebe. I'm here to be strong for you.''

''I'm sorry, Cole, but I have a lot to deal with right now and I dont think that can be you as well. She still wants to give up her powers. I can't let her. I have to help her out, okay? I have to. Her powers are all but gone because she hasn't used them in so long. What if she get's attacked?''

''What about Leo?''

''Leo? Leo couldn't care about us anymore. We don't matter to him. We have Max now and I have to make Prue see that.''

''I don't trust him, Phoebe.''

''You trust no one. If you care so much then get Leo back.''

''You said he's not interested.''

''Exactly ... and you don't have to be either.'' She turned quickly, hurrying out of the room and down the stairs.

''Phoebe.'' Cole called after her, following her out into the stairwell, just to see her grab her handbag and speed out of the manor. ''Phoebe!''

Prue pulled into a parking space at the mall and reached into the back of the car for her handbag. She jerked suddenly as a flurry of white lights filled the car.

''Leo?''

''No. It's me.'' Max smiled at her.

''What do you want?'' She snarled, snatching the bag that he pulled out from the seat under him.

''I came to see if you've reconsidered Phoebe's question. There's a pregnant witch across town who could do with some Charmed help. There's a rising of an ancient pack of demons in the horizon and - ''

''Then you deal with it. Tell The Elders I don't do this any longer, okay? Until they give me my sister back, I do nothing. Tell Phoebe, too.''

Max leaned over and grabbed hold of Prue's arm tightly, stopping her leaving the car.

''What are you doing?'' She tried to pull her arm away, to no avail. He was too strong.

''You'll thank me for this.'' He told her, pulling the vial out from his pocket and throwing the contents at her.

''I CALL UPON THE ANCIENT POWER

TO AID HER THROUGH THIS DARKEST HOUR.

MAKE HER KEEP THIS MAGIC GIFT.

HELP THIS WITCH HEAL MAGIC'S RIFT.''

''Well?'' She asked. ''Where is this witch? She needs our help, come on.''

''You did well, Lyanna. The Ring of Garaath. Such an achievement.'' A grey haired old demon climbed out from a twirling porthole and stretched, as though waking from a deep sleep. A younger, skinnier man was pushed out after him by a tall, attractive demon with tribal tatoos covering his arms and chest.

''Come on, let's go get them.'' The handsome one snarled, pushing the younger one out of the way. ''Come on!'' He shouted impatiently.

''Wait Zarinn.'' Lyanna spoke softly, pulling the cloak down to reveal her pretty face. ''I have waited too long for you to come and screw this up. Now I finally have the ring and we can proceed with our plans to take over the Underworld after we get the witches unborns.''

Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming! So help me out, should Phoebe and Cole split up? Is Max evil or just naive? Should Leo come back?


End file.
